Battle of Ruvo

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Ruvo
partof=the Second Italian War


caption=
date=February 23, 1503
place= Ruvo, Italy
result=Spanish victory
combatant1=France
combatant2=Spain
commander1=Jacques de la Palice
commander2=Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba
Diego de Mendoza
strength1=300 lances
300 foot-soldierscite book |last=Prescott |first=WilliamHickling |authorlink= |coauthors= |editor= |others= |title=History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella (Vol. III) (1841) |origdate= |origyear= |origmonth= |url= |format= |accessdate= |accessyear= |accessmonth= |edition= |series= |date= |year=2004 |month= |publisher=Digital Antiquaria |location= |language=Spanish |isbn=1-5805-7289-8 |oclc= |doi= |id= |pages=34 |chapter= |chapterurl= |quote= ]
strength2=400 foot-soldiers
600 horsemen
1,300 soldiers [cite book |last=Suárez Fernández |first=Luis |authorlink= |coauthors= |editor= |others= |title=El Camino Hacia Europa |origdate= |origyear= |origmonth= |url= |format= |accessdate= |accessyear= |accessmonth= |edition= |series= |date= |year=1990 |month= |publisher=Ediciones Rialp |location= |language=Spanish |isbn=8-4321-2589-X |oclc= |doi= |id= |pages=274-275 |chapter= |chapterurl= |quote= ]
casualties1=600 captured
1,000 horses captured
casualties2=|

The Battle of Ruvo was fought on February 23, 1503 between a Spanish army under Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba and Diego de Mendoza and a French army commanded by Jacques de la Palice. The battle was part of the Second Italian War and was fought at the town of Ruvo in the Province of Bari, modern-day Italy. The result was a Spanish victory.

Overview

Following the Treaty of Granada signed on November 11, 1500, Spanish monarch Ferdinand "the Catholic" and Louis XII of France agreed that each power takes a partition of the Kingdom of Naples. The deal soon fell through, however, and Spain and France resumed their war over the kingdom. This resulted in the Second Italian War.

The battle

During the end of 1502 and the early part of 1503 the Spanish stood at bay in the entrenched camp at Barletta near the Ofanto river on the shores of the Adriatic sea. Once hearing about the retreat and departure of Louis d'Armagnac, Duke of Nemours, Gonzalo decided to launch an offensive in a Moorish guerrilla style on the town of Ruvo which was defended by Jacques de la Palice. [cite book |last=Rubin |first=Nancy |authorlink= |coauthors= |editor= |others= |title=Isabella of Castile: The First Renaissance Queen |origdate= |origyear= |origmonth= |url= |format= |accessdate= |accessyear= |accessmonth= |edition= |series= |date= |year=2004 |month= |publisher=iUniverse |location= |language= |isbn=0-5953-2076-7 |oclc= |doi= |id= |pages=p. 407 |chapter= |chapterurl= |quote= ]

Gonzalo de Córdoba stormed the town at early morning launching a cannonade offensive. Soon after, he faced a resolute resistance by the French. However, within four hours he could open a breach from where the Spanish soldiers could enter and launch the assault. Fighting with swords lasted for seven hours and reached houses and streets until Jacques de la Palice was wounded and held prisoner. [http://www.ingenierosdelrey.com/guerras/1500_italia/1503_ruvo.htm "Historia militar de España" - Asalto a Ruvo (Primavera de 1503)] es icon ]

The Spanish army soon decided to get back to Barletta while Louis d'Armagnac tried to return to Ruvo to help the French army. Once there he found the Spanish flag already waving in the walls of the city and understood that he arrived behind schedule and stopped to follow ahead.

References

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Footnotes